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Drasi challenges New Democracy over party loans

Pro-business party Drasi on Tuesday called on New Democracy to come clean about the state of its bank loans after Giorgos Mouroutis, the head of the prime minister’s press office, insisted that the conservatives are paying back their debts without delay.

The exchange was prompted by European Competition Commissioner Joaquin Almunia responding to a question from Drasi leader Theodoros Skylakakis (photo), who is an MEP, regarding loans taken out by ND and PASOK.

According to Almunia’s data, ND owes 145 million euros and PASOK a little less.

The commissioner also said that the majority of the loans were nonperforming as of January 2013.

Responding to Mouroutis’s denial, Drasi called for further clarification and claimed that New Democracy is likely to be paying 11 to 12 million euros in annual interest, when its state funding only reaches 6 million euros a year.